Vent plug for a container containing a liquid



Jan. 9, 1934. J. WOODBRIDGE ,6

VENT PLUG FOR A CONTAINER CONTAINING A Filed May 26, 1931 5 $2 T 1- Y iii-T:- '5 -i 3 v w wr0/? z es/er nafaa rz a e UNITED STA Patented Jan. 9, 1934 1,11 42,03. VENT PLUG FOR A CONTAINER CONTAINING A mourn Joseph Lester Woodbridge, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Electric Storage Battery Company, Philadelphia, 2a., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 26, 1931. Serial No. 540,086

Claims. (cl. 220 -44) TES PATEN-l OFFICE.

The object of my invention is a vent plug for a container containing liquid such. as a Storage battery containing electrolyte. Myimproved vent plug consists of a valve seat, a supporting ledge is beneath said valve seat, a weighted member supported on said ledge and having orifices therein,

and a valve member supported on said weighted member and adapted to close said valve seat when the container is tilted.

1o Fora further exposition of my invention reference may be had to the annexed drawing and specification at the end whereof my invention will be specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawing there is shown a vertical cross section through my device with parts in side elevation. The drawing shows a hollow vent plug 1 screwed into the opening of the cover 2 of a storage battery cell generally indicated at 3. At the bottom of the vent plug there is an internal ledge 4., upon which rests a weighted member 5. The member 5 has a cup like depression at the top, in the center of which projects a conical pin '7. On this conical pin rests a heml spherical valve member 8, having on its under side a conical cavity into which the pin 7 pro jects for supporting the member 8, leaving it free to rock about the point of the pin 7. Near the bottom 01 the vent plug 1 is a conical member 9 with a central orifice 10 opening from the inan terior of the vent plug into the top or the cell and provided at its bottom with spherically surtaced valve seat 11 adapted to cooperate with the valve member 8 to close the orifice 10 when the valve member 8 is raised to bear upon the valve seat 11. The vent plug 1 is provided with a cap 12 having a depending vent duct 13 to permit the escape of gas from the cell during normal operation. The upper cup shaped portion of the weighted member 5 is provided with openings 14 to permit gas to escape from the cell and to drain back any liquid from the vent plug when the cell is in its normal upright position.

when the cell is standing in its normal upright position, the parts of the vent plug will 45.be located as shown in the drawing with the valve member 8 out of contact with the valve seat 11, permitting the gas generated from the cell to escape. II the cell is tilted to a certain angle in any direction, the weighted member 5 will rock about a point of contact between the lip 6 and the ledge 4, bringing the valve memher 8 into contact with the valve seat 11, thus closing the orifice 10 and preventing liquid from escaping from the cell. If a few drops of liquid ,5; should escape into the upper part of the vent plug normal position.

1. it will be trapped in the space around the vent duct 13 and will not pass out but will be drained back into the cell when the cell is restored to its In the normal position of the parts shown in the drawing, the tip of the conical point '1 is slightly below the plane of the ledge 4, and in the position with the cell tilted, this tip will be slightly above the plane of the ledge 4, the travel of the tip of the point 7 being substantially axial 66 with respect to the vent plug. By supporting the spherical valve member 8 as shown, it isfree to rock slightly on the tip of the point '7 and therefore seat accurately on the valve seat 11.

I do not intend to be limited in the practice of 70 my invention save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

I claim:

' 1. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container containing liquid, a valve seat defining an orifice opening from the vent plug into the container, an annular supporting ledge below the valve seat, a weighted member having an annular lip adapted to-be supported on said ledge and having a centrally located supporting pin and having an opening therein providing a drain beneath said valve seat when said container is in normal position, and a valve member supported on said'pin normally out of contact with the valve seat and adapted to be brought into contact 35 therewith'by the rocking of the weighted member on the supporting ledge caused by the tilting oi the container.

2. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container, a valve seat defining an orifice opening from the vent plug into the container, an annular supporting ledge below the valve seat, a weighted member having an annular lip adapted to be supported on said ledge and having an orifice therethrough, a supporting pin projecting from the upper surface of said weighted member to a point just beneath the plane of saidsuppo'rting ledge, a valve member supportedonsaid pin normally out of contact with the valve 'seat and adapted to be brought into contact therewith by the rocking o! the weightedmember on the supporting ledge caused 'by the tilting of the container, and a wall having a vent therein projecting downward into the interior of said vent plug. 1

3. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container containing liquid, a valve seat defining an orifice opening from the vent plug into the container, an annular supporting ledge below the valve seat, a weighted member an an- 9 the rocking oi the weighted member on the supporting ledge caused by the tilting of the container.

4. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container containing liquid, a valve seat defining an orifice opening from the vent plug into the container, an annular supporting ledge below the valve seat, a weighted member having an annular lip adapted to be supported on said ledge, a supporting pin projecting from the upper surface of said weighted member to a point just beneath the plane of said supporting ledge, and a. valvemember having a conical cavity in its under surface supported on said pin at the apex or said conical cavity and out of contact with the. valve seat and adapted to be brought into contact therewith by the rocking of the weighted member on the suppmmgledge caused by the tilting of the container. 1 5. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container containing liquid, a valve; seat defining an orifice opening from the vent plug into the container an annular supporting ledge below the valve seat, a weighted member having an annular lip adapted to be supported from said ledge, and a valve member adapted to be supported by said weighted member beneath and normally out of contact with the valve seat and adapted to be brought into contact therewith by, the rocking of the weighted member onthe supporting ledge caused by the tilting of the container, the supporting contact between the weighted memberand the valve member being in the form of a pin projecting from one of said members resting at the apex of a cavity in the other, said contact being located just beneath the plane oi said annularlip. Y t I JOSEPH LES'lMm WOODBGE.

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